The present invention relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly, to an epicyclic gear system for use in gas turbine engines.
Epicyclic gear systems (trains) are complex mechanisms for reducing or increasing the rotational speed between two rotating shafts or rotors. The compactness of epicyclic gear systems makes them appealing for use in aircraft engines.
The forces and torque transferred through epicyclic gear systems place tremendous stresses on gear system components, making them susceptible to breakage and wear. Because of the large forces and torque transferred by epicyclic gear systems, providing debris free lubrication to the epicyclic gear system is critical to reducing part wear. Unfortunately, to deliver lubrication between gear components, many prior art epicyclic gear systems require multiple parts which themselves require lubrication and assembly. Repair and installation of these parts and others within the engine risks introducing debris into the epicyclic gear system.